The Broad objective of the research is to correlate structure and function in biological membranes. Bacteriophageand phage ghosts are being used to introduce reproducible membrane perturbations under physiological conditions in E. coli. The attachement of T4 phage to E. coli can result in actiation of host phospholipase. This research seeks to determine if the attendant enzymatically induced changes in the phospholipid matrix of membranes can initiate the broad changes observed in membrane function. These include impairment of active transport, loss of lysis inhibition, the initation of phage induced lysis from without, and the inhibition of macromolecular synthesis. The objectives also include the characterization of the phage bound phospholipase and of the conditions or factors which regulate phospholipase activity. The role, if any, of phospholipase in cell division will also be examined. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENECES: C. S. Buller, M. Vander Maten, D Faurot, and E. T. Nelson. l975. Phospholipase activity in bacteriophage-infected Escherichia coli. II. Activation of phospholipase by T4 ghost infection. J Viol. 15: 1141-1147. K. L. Hardaway, M. Vander Maten, and C. S. Buller, 1975. Phospholipase activity in bacteriophage-infected Escherichia coli. III. Phospholipase A involvement in lysis of T4-infected cells. J. Virol. 16: 867-871.